Chapter 799: Zhu Li's Middle Dream Layer (1)

Through Chen Wei's explanation, I finally understood.

The Black-Robed Anchor had started cooperating with the Third Department a long time ago. At first, he had no choice. Jinghai was different from Jiangcheng. This city was far too important, making it incredibly difficult to pull off live broadcasts unnoticed time after time.

So he simply laid his cards on the table. Both sides got what they needed: the Third Department accommodated the Black-Robed Anchor's live broadcasts, opening every door for him, while the Black-Robed Anchor provided items the Third Department desperately needed to maintain the relationship.

The cooperation went smoothly at first. But as the Black-Robed Anchor's strength rapidly increased, he slowly took the dominant position in their arrangement. Single-handedly overpowering an entire faction—this kind of situation was only common among live show streamers.

Through our conversation, I also realized one thing: the Third Department knew the Black-Robed Anchor belonged to a certain faction, but they had no idea what that faction was called.

In other words, the Black-Robed Anchor hadn't leaked anything related to the Underworld Live Show. That was his bottom line, and it was also what the Third Department was most dissatisfied with.

No department would allow an uncontrollable faction to exist within its jurisdiction. To investigate the Live Show, they had expended massive amounts of manpower and resources both openly and in secret, yet their results remained minimal.

The Black-Robed Anchor had already slipped beyond their control. Lacking the confidence to completely suppress him, the Third Department could only turn a blind eye. In reality, they were losing their initiative in Jinghai step by step.

This was also one of the reasons they had sought me out. They needed someone who could act as a counterweight against Black Robe, while also being easy to control.

The person in charge of the Third Department had a good idea, but as a live show streamer, I was destined never to join them. Leaking the Live Show's existence would incur the Live Show's retaliation. No live show streamer would ever do such a thing.

This was also why the Black-Robed Anchor felt at ease letting me come here. He clearly understood a live show streamer's attitude toward the Third Department—cooperation was fine, but obedience was absolutely impossible.

I followed the old man and Chen Wei deeper into the building. The air here seemed to contain something full of spirituality. Breathing it in lifted one's mood and made true qi circulate much more smoothly.

"We hope you'll carefully consider our proposal," Chen Wei said, all business. His pockets were bulging as if they held something else; the moment I refused, he would immediately resort to other measures.

The Third Department hadn't completely uncovered my background yet. Their so-called bargaining chips were merely the leverage from my past they believed they held. Although they didn't say it outright, I could sense it from Chen Wei's words.

However, I didn't reject them outright either. Instead, I planned to stall.

After becoming a live show streamer, my strength had increased at a blistering pace. Almost every passing month brought a qualitative leap.

Right now, there might still be a gap between me, Black Robe, and the Third Department, but a few months from now, who would be stronger was entirely up in the air.

They didn't intend to push too hard, either. Leading me into a courtyard at the very back of the building, the old man said, "The item you want is in here. Whether you can take it or not depends entirely on your own ability."

The old man pushed open the quaint wooden doors to the courtyard. Inside sat four wells, with a shrine placed dead center.

"A long time ago, that man helped us handle many thorny issues. In return, we promised he could borrow Jinghai's will of the people once." The old man looked up at the shrine. "There are no clay idols in this shrine, only the will of the people. If you want to activate the grand dragon vein array, you must first gain the approval of the people's will."

With a vague understanding, I stepped into the courtyard and pulled open the shrine's wooden doors. In an instant, countless stray thoughts flooded into my sea of consciousness.

The will of the people was as vast as an ocean. My mind was battered by worldly desires and emotions, experiencing what Buddhists often call the tribulations of the mortal coil.

Bitterly guarding my core consciousness, I heard all sorts of voices ringing in my ears as chaotic thoughts rose up and invaded my sea of consciousness.

'It holds this much power even without anyone controlling it. If someone could master the will of this entire city's people, wouldn't they be able to turn the world upside down? They would be invincible within this city, at the very least.'

Under the impact of the will of the people, the unresolved obsessions still lingering in my sea of consciousness began to spontaneously resist. These malicious thoughts of greed and gluttony from the Red Building absolutely loathed the will of the people.

"I suppose this is a blessing in disguise," I said with a bitter smile. Gritting my teeth, I threw the shrine's wooden doors completely open. Sweeping my gaze with the Judging Eye, I locked onto a piece of broken jade resting inside.

'Is this what Black Robe sent me to fetch?' I reached into the shrine. The closer my hand got to the broken jade, the stronger the backlash from the will of the people became. Though my willpower surpassed even veteran Celestial Masters like Xu Yan, it was still utterly insignificant before the will of an entire city.

My eyes could see it, but I just couldn't touch it. Every time, my hand fell just a hair short.

The stalemate lasted for a while. When the obsessions in my sea of consciousness were nearly exhausted, I freed my other hand and gouged it into the Blood Fox Tattoo on my chest.

My fingers formed an incantation seal. The phantom image of nine fox tails abruptly materialized, causing the water in the four surrounding ancient wells to ripple and echo like beating drums and tolling bells.

"Xue Zhuo of the mortal coil!"

That bloodthirsty voice struck terror into the heart. A killing intent that seemed ready to pierce the heavens made everyone present twitch in alarm.

Erupting with every ounce of strength I currently possessed, I finally blasted a tiny gap in the will of the people. Snatching forward, I caught the broken jade in my palm. Without another word, I slammed the wooden doors shut and rapidly retreated.

In just those short ten-odd seconds, my back had become completely drenched in sweat. But the payoff was directly proportional to the effort.

The residual Red Building Obsessions deep within my sea of consciousness had been entirely consumed. This hidden danger was completely eradicated.

Feeling the warm smoothness in my palm, I carefully examined the item. This broken jade was likely a fragment of a larger jade disk. Intricate patterns were carved onto its surface; staring at it for too long made the world spin.

"Truly worthy of being the helper that man invited. You've really broadened this old man's horizons." The old man's expression hadn't changed much from beginning to end. "The broken jade is the key to unlocking the grand dragon vein array. It's impossible to verify exactly what era this object is from, but we've fulfilled what we promised him. I hope he honors his end of the bargain. Furthermore, the jade disk cannot be separated from the will of the people for too long. According to our agreement, it must be returned within three days."

"I'll pass that along to him." Holding the broken jade, I prepared to leave.

The old man abruptly changed his tune. "If you ever run into trouble in Jinghai in the future, you can also come to us. Just release the malevolent yin energy in your body, and someone will naturally contact you."

Wanting to forge a good relationship with me, the Third Department didn't stop me. Escorted by a blue-robed Daoist, I left the Veteran Cadre Activity Center through the front gates.

The old man hadn't told me anything more about the grand dragon vein array, and I hadn't pressed for details. I just headed toward the other two locations Black Robe had left in my mind.

One of these locations was the Hongqiao Port, and the other was the Jinghai Outer Port.

Following the information in the Dream Immortal Chant Child Talisman, I found a broken bone densely carved with sutras in an abandoned temple at the Jinghai Outer Port. Then, per his request, I arrived at the Hongqiao Port.

The spot the Black-Robed Anchor had pointed me toward was in an underground parking garage within the inner district. A specific concrete pillar down there sat squarely beneath the Hongqiao Port, looking as if it alone supported Jinghai's entire gateway.

'What am I supposed to do now that I've brought the broken jade and broken bone here?'

The Dream Immortal Chant Child Talisman offered no further hints. This talisman could only transmit information one way.

Finding just these two places had taken up an entire day. To prevent any unexpected changes, I didn't linger in the underground parking garage and headed straight back to the Apartment Building where Zhu Li lived.

Chu Men had been hiding on the first floor. I took him with me up to the fourth floor of the Apartment Building.

The room full of talismans made him click his tongue in wonder. Pointing at Zhu Li on the floor, I said, "I'm going to enter his Dream Realm shortly. Next, there's a very important task I need to hand over to you."

"What is it?" Chu Men stood in the doorway. Afraid of touching the talismans, he hadn't stepped inside.

"Remember that smile I made you practice?" I turned around, took off the Good and Evil Asura Mask, and handed it to Chu Men. "Hold that smile. The moment you put this mask on, you are me!"

"Your face..." Chu Men didn't take the mask. Instead, he pointed at me and took a step back.

I knew what he meant and peeled off the Human Skin Mask. "Just a little trick. It only fools ordinary people."

To a Celestial Master who had cultivated to the Qi-Watching Realm, a Human Skin Mask was nothing but a joke. I'd felt this deeply when facing that old man from the Third Department.